MPs urge Amazon and eBay to tighten controls on ebike and charger sales
MPs are calling on Amazon and eBay to tighten controls on the sale of ebikes and chargers after it emerged the online marketplaces are selling unsafe items that can exceed legal power or speed limits.
This week Amazon and eBay were selling bikes and chargers from the Chinese brand Ridstar that are identical to, or very similar to, three items that were last week identified by the UK government's Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) as posing a serious fire risk because of substandard electrical components and charging equipment.
The bikes were available to UK shoppers despite the government warning they had been prohibited from sale in the UK after some products had been intercepted by border officials.
MPs called on Amazon and eBay to withdraw the bikes from sale, overhaul seller and product verification processes to prevent the listing of dangerous or illegal items; and endorse a national quality-assurance Kitemark to distinguish legal and fire-tested ebikes.
'It is highly likely that the identical Ridstar bike, and similar Ridstar bikes, for sale on Amazon.co.uk will feature the same product safety issues and could pose an immediate fire risk to those purchasing and charging the items from Amazon,' wrote the MPs Fabian Hamilton and Olly Glover, the chair and vice-chair of the all party parliamentary group for cycling and walking, to the online marketplace's UK boss, John Boumphrey.
In a separate letter, Hamilton and Glover urged eBay to 'urgently withdraw from sale all ebike products that do not meet appropriate safety certification or exceed the speed and power limits permitted for electrically assisted pedal cycles under UK law'.
They asked for a 'detailed update' on how eBay was implementing a pledge to better control the sale of ebikes in the UK. The MPs said, for example, they had found more than 1,400 secondhand ebikes for sale by private sellers despite an apparent ban by the marketplace. Ebay has not confirmed this number.
The letters to Amazon and eBay come after MPs on the committee called on the government to urgently act to stop the sale of illegal and potentially lethal electric bikes that it said were 'a crisis hiding in plain sight'.
After being approached by the Guardian, Amazon said the Ridstar bike flagged by the OPSS had been removed from sale.
A spokesperson said: 'We require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws and regulations, and we monitor for product safety concerns.
'We also go further by requiring sellers of e-mobility products to provide documented testing certification carried out by an accredited lab.'
The spokesperson added: 'Safety is a top priority at Amazon and we have partnered with the London fire brigade to provide customers with easy-to-understand expert tips on how to use and store ebikes and e-scooters safely.'
After being contacted by the Guardian, eBay said it had removed 'a number of listings' for ebikes flagged by the OPSS and was 'working on identifying and removing any further items as quickly as possible'.
Sign up to Business Today
Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning
after newsletter promotion
The company said: 'Whenever we identify an unsafe item on our platform, we remove it and alert any buyers.
'Consumer safety is a top priority at eBay. We take this issue seriously and ensure only eligible business sellers can list ebikes and ebike batteries for sale in the UK. Used ebike batteries are prohibited.
'In addition, we have begun CE audits of ebike battery listings to confirm all products have valid CE documentation. We also use block filter algorithms and AI-supported monitoring by our in-house specialists, aimed at preventing unsafe or otherwise prohibited listings.'
Under UK law, ebikes are only allowed to use electric assist to power the machine up to 15.5mph when the rider is pedalling, with a maximum power output of 250w, but more powerful bikes are readily available online.
Ridstar did not respond to a request for comment.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Council approves 149 homes after making amendments
A major new settlement south of a city has taken a small step forward following the approval of 149 new housing will form part of the wider Great Haddon development of 5,350 homes, which was approved by Peterborough City Council in site will also include a district shopping centre, three primary schools, one secondary school and other latest addition will see 149 new homes built on land north of Norman Cross, as part of the settlement's third phase. Outline permission had already been granted, but the next stage saw Vistry South East Midlands submitting an application for "reserved matters".That included details of the development's appearance, layout, landscaping and scale, according to the Local Democracy Reporting new homes will be a mixture of one to four bedrooms, with 24 of the properties being affordable City Council said in its decision document that the proposal "was not in accordance with local and national planning policy", but that it had worked with Vistry on amendments."The local planning authority has worked with the applicant in a positive and proactive manner based on seeking solutions."Amendments were discussed and agreed with the applicant to bring the proposal into compliance with policy, and the application can therefore be approved." Elsewhere in Great Haddon, construction of a 420-place primary school is due to begin in late summer and finish in September 2026, subject to planning permission being granted in May, the Hampton Academies Trust was appointed by the Department for Education to operate the new Helen Price, executive headteacher of the Hampton Academies Trust, said: "We are really looking forward to delivering a fantastic school for the new community of Great added: "From our many years of operating on the Hampton development, we understand how schools can put the heart and soul into new communities." Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Narcissistic activists aren't Britain's real enemy
Should Irish rappers Kneecap be banned from playing Glastonbury today? Far better to ask: should anyone care? These talentless anti-Israel bigots and the perpetual adolescents attending the outdated Worthy Farm jamboree deserve each other. Perhaps the quinquagenarians paying through the nose to watch 70-year-olds flogging their old hits for the thousandth time, whilst desperately trying to stave off dysentery, think watching Kneecap will make them 'edgy'. Leave them to it. Because narcissistic rappers are just a distraction. Along with Palestine Action – a group which takes to Britain's streets to support homophobes and misogynists – they may have handed the Met and the Culture Secretary an opportunity to pretend they're taking a 'muscular' approach to far-Left extremism in our wondrously multicultural society. But they could also be swatted away for good if the Government showed some genuine bottle, and should not be the primary object of our contempt. The real fifth columnists aren't these provocateurs and cosplayers, but the pathetic politicians and jobsworth civil servants indulging them. What Keir Starmer doesn't grasp, when he issues flabby statements about the 'inappropriateness' of Kneecap at Glasto, is that the root of our frustration isn't just the inability of our authorities to clamp down on this nonsense. It's the knowledge that, at every turn, those who genuinely want to keep us safe will come up against others working against it. Take (please!) the diversity hire in charge at Brize Norton, a woman who has spent her time in the RAF working in personnel and administration ('HR' for short), and who in 2019 wrote that patriotism is 'undesirable'. It's the silly so-and-sos who believe our Armed Forces need woke recruiting practices, even if it exacerbates staff shortages. We've not got enough people to fly our planes, but at least we can try to say RAF staff perfectly reflect our society's demographic makeup. And it's the people who would never openly share their disdain for the majority, but who work unobtrusively every day to undermine their democratic will. The foot-dragging lanyard class – unelected, unaccountable, secretly ideological – thwarts policies they are paid to implement. If you want to understand why the Tories accomplished next to nothing over their 14 years in power, look no further than a King's College London study which found civil servants are significantly less satisfied, and thus less motivated to work hard, if they hold different political views from the government. Nowhere is this issue clearer than on immigration. The Tory Government attempted to introduce policies that would deter illegal crossings, only to be met with legalistic sabotage and a landmark legal challenge from the senior civil servants union. Brits want bogus asylum claims thrown out, but charities and NGOs push for an open doors policy that is impoverishing and angering our country, transforming it beyond recognition with no mandate. Or consider counter-terrorism: the Shawcross review revealed Right-wing extremism was being discussed disproportionately, despite Islamist craziness being by far the most likely problem. We have gradually dismantled our Armed Forces whilst money is endlessly squandered on welfare to appease Leftists who live in La La Land. We allow subtle attacks on allies and make excuses for terrorists. We continually undermine our troops with dubious prosecutions and pointless inquiries. Why can't we be tough and resourceful, as the Israelis are on a much smaller budget? Their country has many internal political differences but its people understand there is one shared nation to be defended at all costs. Can the same be said for Britain? The prescription isn't hard: deport illegals, lock up the most dangerous radicals and stop patronising the airheads, tell the soggy sympathisers the game is up. That the counter-terrorism police have now arrested four people after military planes were sprayed with paint during the break-in at Brize Norton – a stunt that could have cost lives – might indicate we are going to get a bit tougher. Let's hope so. But Britain is a long way from confronting the real enemy within.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Driver who inspired F1 film touched by Brad Pitt thanks
A man who was in a crash that inspired a Brad Pitt movie said it was a "pinch yourself moment" when the actor thanked him for sharing his story. Formula 1 driver Martin Donnelly, who lives in Norfolk, suffered serious injuries in a crash in Jerez, Spain, in at the premiere of F1 in London, Pitt thanked him for "putting his energy and guidance" into the new movie."It was just a pinch yourself moment," Mr Donnelly said. "I said 'is he talking to me, is he referring to me'. It is one of those memories I will cherish for life." Mr Donnelly was driving a Lotus Lamborghini which disintegrated against a barrier in a high-speed suffered damage to his right leg which meant he could never compete in a top-end single seater car accident influenced the story line of the new film, seeing Pitt's character Sonny Hayes return to the wheel after he was in a 61-year-old actor undertook four months of driver training in Abu Dhabi as well as Silverstone and Rockingham in Northamptonshire. Talking about watching the accident in the film, Donnelly told the BBC: "It was such a surreal moment. It was something only I could appreciate."After one of the operations the surgeon said, 'that is it - you will never drive an F1 car again'."But he does not know the mind of a racing driver. We are stubborn and determined and selfish."On 23 February 1993 I drove a Jordan car around Silverstone and that was me giving my surgeons the pledge to say you know your books, but you do not know me, and here I am." Speaking about meeting Pitt, Mr Donnelly added: "It was just a surreal moment."A highly rated A-List star like Brad Pitt asking me for advice and direction."Mr Donnelly still works with Lotus and runs his own driving Manwaring, former team manager for Lotus, said: "He just had all of the right ingredients to be a good driver."It was pretty clear to me that he was going to be a real star."I think it has been a good thing for Martin and we were happy to support him." Follow East of England news on X, Instagram and Facebook: BBC Norfolk or BBC Northamptonshire.
